The present invention broadly relates to a new and improved construction of a sabot projectile containing a sabot rear portion having reference fracture locations.
In its more specific aspects the present invention is directed to a new and improved construction of a sabot projectile containing a sabot tail or rear portion having reference fracture locations. The sabot projectile comprises a projectile body or penetrator, the sabot tail or rear portion in which the projectile body is anchored, a sabot jacket which surrounds the projectile body and a plurality of tongue or petal members secured at the sabot tail or rear portion by reference fracture locations. These tongue or petal members serve to anchor the projectile body in the sabot tail or rear portion, and the reference fracture locations are formed by two circumferential grooves.
Sabot projectiles of this general type belong to the state-of-the-art as disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,927,618, granted Dec. 23, 1975, 4,249,466, granted Feb. 10, 1981, Swiss Patent Nos. 494,389, granted July 31, 1970, 536,481, granted June 15, 1973, the British Patent Nos. 576,217, accepted Mar. 25, 1946 and 1,362,308, published Aug. 7, 1974.
It has been found that the aforementioned tongue members do not always break off in the desired manner at the related reference fracture location. In the event the complete sabot and, in particular, the sabot tail or rear portion does not immediately separate in the desired manner from the projectile body upon leaving the weapon barrel muzzle, then there is no longer insured stable flight of the projectile body.